Apparatus for producing mouthpiece cigarettes



B. SCHUBERT 3,212,507

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOUTHPIEGE GIGARETTES Oct. 19, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1962 1965 B. SCHUBERT 3,212,507

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Filed March 13, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 2 B. SCHUBERT 3,212,507

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOUTHPIEGE CIGARETTES Oct. 19, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 15, 1962 Oct. 19, 1965 B. SCHUBERT 3,212,507

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Filed March 15, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 4 his fiTrog /gy cur in the feed of the cigarettes or theplugs.

United States Patent 3,212,507 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOUTHPIECECIGARETTES Bernhard Schubert, Hamburg-Lohbrugge, Germany, assignor toHauni-Werke Korber & C0. K.G., Hamburg- Bergedorf, Germany Filed Mar.13, 1962, Ser. No. 179,431 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar.16, 1961, H 42,037; Great Britain, May 23, 1961, 18,558/61 6 Claims.(Cl. 13121) The invention relates to apparatus for producing groups ofaxially aligned rod-shaped elements such as filter cigarettes and, inthe event of a faulty cigarette feed, is concerned with means forstopping the feed of attachments as well as the feed of an advancingwrapper strip, which is gummed and partedinto sections. These sectionsare wrapped around groups consisting of cigarettes andmouthpieces andeach groupconsisting for example of two cigarettes and an interposedmouthpiece of twice the final length.

The attachments referred to comprise all attachments or inserts forcigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and the like, and such attachmentsinclude composite filters, as well as rods or rod sections, and they mayinclude mouthpieces consisting ofhollow tubes or mouthpiece portionspartly or wholly filled with filter material or filter material withouta wrapping, for example a plug of cotton wool. All these mouthpieceportions will hereinafter be referred to for convenience as plugs.

The feed of the strip is interrupted if disturbances oc- In this way thefeed of a gummed strip section, which has not been wrapped around agroup, is not carried onward into the machine with the danger of themachine parts being smeared with the adhesive which might involvestopping of the machine and loss of time for cleaning.

The inventionrelates to a preferred and simplified construction of andincludes a clutch device for interrupting the feed of the plugs. Theinvention also includes a stationary braking surface ahead of the feedrollers as seen in the feed direction. According to a further feature ofthe invention the pressing of the strip against the breaking surface iseffected by means of an electromagnet, to the movable armature of whichis operatively connected or secured a braking surface.

drawings ,as appliedto-a machine for producing filter cigarettes.

FIG. 1 is anend view of part of a filter cigarette machine with a filtercutting and feeding device as well as a cigarette magazine drum.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the filter cutting and feedingdevice according to FIG. 1, partly in section, with a coupling deviceand control elements.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a coupling disc in the direction of thearrow 78 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the other coupling disc seen in thedirection of the arrow 79 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower part .of the filter cigarettemachine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows the braking device indicated in FIG. 5, on a larger scaleandpartly in section, and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic end view of a complete filter Patented Oct. 19,1965 "ice cigarette machine which is constructed in accordance with myinvention.

The part of the filter cigarette machine shown in FIG. 1 consistsessentially of a feed duct or magazine duct 1 for filter rods 2, forexample of three times a double plug length. Beneath the magazine duct 1through which are fed the filterrods 2, there is provided a magazinetakeoff drum 4 provided with grooves 3. Two circular cutters 5 areprovided in the region of the grooves 3 of the take-off drum 4 forcutting the filter rods 2 into double length plugs 16. Three collatingwheels 6a, 6b, 60, provided with grooves 7a, 7b, 7c co-operate with thetakeoff drum 4 and are arranged so that three double length plugs 16 cutfrom each filter rod 2 are moved or displaced relative to one anotherbefore transfer to a grooved drum 8 arranged beneath the wheels 6a, 6b,so that the double length plugs 16 can be re-aligned to form an alignedrow ahead of the drum 8. Concentric guide surfaces 17 are provided inrelation to grooves 9 of the drum 8, which surfaces serve to retain thedouble length plugs 16 in position on the drum 8. Below the drum 8 thereis provided a rotary conveyor here shown as a grooved wheel 10 havinggrooves '11, the grooved zone of which is intersected by an intermediateconveyor 12 with grooves 13 which in turn co-operates with a cigarettemagazine drum 14 and has a groove pitch corresponding to grooves 15 ofsaid drum 14.

Ahead of the intermediate conveyor 12, as viewed in the feedingdirection and on the periphery of the cigarette magazine drum 14, thereis provided a sensing means here shown as a feeler 22 pivotally movablein an adjustable holder 23, of which an operating pin 31 of a switch 24co-operates with the feeler 22. The switch 24 is connected into anoperating circuit 25 of a relay 62 which controls the circuit 27 ofafirst arresting device including a clutch having a control electromagnet28. The relay 26 also controls the circuit 68 of a second arrestingdevice including a brake having an electromagnet (FIG. 6). One end of acontrol lever 29 is operated by the electromagnet 28, while the otherend thereof (FIG. 2) operates a control shaft 30.

The drive of the filter cutting and feed device is effected from a maindrive shaft of the machine, not shown, through a driving gear wheel 21in such a manner that the grooved drum 8, grooved wheel 10, thecollating wheels 6a, 6b, 6c, the magazines take-off drum 4 as well asthe intermediate conveyor 12 are all driven from a hollow driven shaft20, shown best in FIG. 2. The whole device is adapted to be brought intooperation by means of a clutch device to be described more fullyhereinafter, while the cigarette magazine drum 14 and the other parts ofthe filter cigarette machine are driven separatelyfrom the main drive.

The construction of the clutch will now be described in conjunction withFIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The driving gear wheel 21 already referred to isrotatable on a spindle 32 and is mounted between stationary walls 18 and19. A flange 33 of the gear wheel 21 has two lugs 34 which engage withan axially slidable drive clutch disc 35 which is spaced by compressionsprings 36 from the flange 33. The springs 36 are guided in bores 46 inflange 33 and in disc 35. The hollow driven shaft 20 carries the groovedwheel 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) with grooves 11 and is rotatable on andsuitably locked to the spindle 32 by means of a ring 80, a bearing 81and a screw 82. A gear wheel 38 is fastened by means of screws 38' to atapered portion 37 of the driven shaft 20 and includes dogs 39, as shownin FIG. 4, which engage between dogs 40 of the drive clutch disc 35(FIG. 3). A thrust bearing 41 engages flange 45 of the drive clutch disc35 (FIG. 3). A transmission bar 42 for axially displacing the thrustbearing 41 is fastened to the other end 43 of the 3 control shaft 30.The number of dogs 40 in the drive clutch disc 35 corresponds to thenumber of grooves 11 in the grooved wheel 10. The drive clutch disc 35has recesses 44 inwhich engage the lugs 34 of the flange 33 of thedriving gear wheel 21.

FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of the gear wheel 38 the dogs 39 ofwhich include inclined portions 47 in order that they can slip easilyinto the gaps between the dogs 40 of the drive clutch disc 35 (FIG. 3).The gear wheel 38 drives the intermediate conveyor 12 as already statedthrough an intermediate gear wheel 48, as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. shows a base plate 50 with a vertically mounted support 51. Abobbin holder 52 for a bobbin or reel 53 of wrapping material isfastened to the support 51 on which the stationary wall 19 is mounted.The bobbin 53 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 55 by means of a clampdisc 54. A rotatable guide roll 57 on a holder 56 is provided on thebase plate 50 beneath the bobbin holder 52. The guide roll 57 precedes abraking device 60 in the direction of movement of a strip 58 of thewrapping material as indicated by an arrow 59. This braking device 60 ismounted on the base plate 50 by means of an angle support 61. Itcomprises a brake block 62 (-FIG. 6) displaceably .mounted on the anglebracket 61 and provided with a braking surface 63 consisting of rubberor the like -for engaging the face of the strip remote from the brakeblock 62. Adjustment is permitted by a slot 64 through which pass thefastening screws for the brake block 62.

The breaking electromagnet 65 is provided beneath the brake block 62 andan operating rod 66 associated with the magnet armature is directedtowards brake block 62. The electromagnet 65 may be adjusted and fixedafter adjustment by means of an elongated slot 67 in the angle support61 in a manner similar to the brake block 62. The supply of current iseffected through circuit 68 connected to the control circuit 27. Betweenthe operating rod 66 and the brake block 62 there is provided an arcuatebrake jaw 69 with a brake lining 70 possessing a friction surface forexample-of rubber. This brake jaw 69 is mounted by a hinge 71 to anangle support 72 mounted on the electromagnet 65.

The braking device 60 is followed by a further guide roller 73 (FIG. 5)as well as a pair of feed rollers comprising a driving roller 74 and apresser roller 75 with a yieldable surface. A further guide roller 76 isarranged between a suction drum not shown, and the pair of feed rollers74 and 75. If desired by the interposition of additional guide rollers,the strip 58 may be cut to required lengths by means of a cuttingdevice, for example a rotating cutter drum. The construction andarrangement of a suitable form of cutter drum and associated parts iscommonly known and constitutes no part of the invention.

In order to stop the driven part of the clutch immediately afterdisengaging the clutch a braking device generally designated byreference numeral 90 is fastened to the wall 19. This braking deviceconsists of a holder 91 in which is pivotally mounted a fork-like lever92, one end of which bears a roller 93 which engages the flat part ofthe outer face of the intermediate member or drive clutch disc 35, andthe other end of which is provided with a braking shoe 94 arranged toengage the periphery of the flange of the tapered portion 37 when theclutch is disengaged. A tension spring 95, one end of which is attachedto the wall 19 and the other end of which is attached to the fork-likelever 92, pulls roller 93 continuously against the flat part of theouter face of the intermediate member or drive clutch disc 35 whereby inthe disengaged position of the clutch the braking shoe 94 engages theflange of the tapered portion 37 thereby holding the driven and nowdisengaged clutch part substantially instantaneously.

The method of operation is as follows: When cigarettes C arrive underswitch 24 and lift the feeler 22 thereby operating switch 24, the filtercutting and feed device is brought into operation. This position offeeler 22 is maintained during the normal running of the machine. If nowfor any reason the cigarette feed is interrupted the feeler 22 movestowards the periphery of drum 14 thereby operating the switch 24. Thismay cause the circuit 25 of the relay-26 to be opened or closeddepending on whether the electromagnet 28 in the circuit 27 needs to bede-energized or energized in order to operate the drive clutch disc 35,either method being possible. In the present case switch 24 closescircuit 25 which operates relay 26 thereby closing the circuit 27 of theoperating electromagnet 28 which actuates the control lever 29 (FIG.'2). The resulting rocking movement causes the other arm of the lever 29to move the control shaft 30 in the direction of the arrow 78. Therebythe transmission bar 42 is pressed against the thrust bearing 41 whichengages drive clutch disc 35 so that the dogs 40 of the drive clutchdisc 35 are separated from the dogs 39 of the gear wheel 38. The driveto the filter cutting and feed device is thereby interrupted causingstoppage of the rotating parts of the filter cutting and feed device. Assoon as cigarettes C are again fed by the cigarette magazine drum 14 soas to operate feeler 22 the electromagnet 28 is de-energized and thesprings 36 press the drive clutch disc 35 towards the gear wheel 38whereby the dogs 39 of the gear wheel 38 assisted by the inclinedportions 47, slip quickly and easily between the dogs 40 of the driveclutch disc 35.

When the feeler 22 described with reference to FIG. 1 operates theelectromagnet 28 due to empty grooves 15 on the magazine drum 14,simultaneously the electromagnet 65 (FIG. 6) controlled by circuit 68 isenergized Which pushes the operating rod 66 outwardly and presses thebrake jaw 69 against the paper strip 58 which is thereby held betweenthe brake jaw 69 and the braking surface 63 of the brake block 62.Because of this action the paper strip 58 slips on and cannot bewithdrawn by the driving roller 74. Damage to the strip 58 will notoccur because disturbances or interruptions in the feed during normalrunning conditions are only momentary.- For long-term disturbances thewhole machine would be stopped. When the cigarette magazine drum 14again feeds the cigarettes C the feeler 22 is lifted and the relay 26and the electromagnets 28, 65 are de-energized. The armature with theoperating rod 66 and the brake jaw 69 are then retracted in the presentcase by their own weight. The strip 58 is no longer retarded and can beagain fed forward by the feed rollers 74, 75 towards the previouslymentioned cutting means to meet correctly assembled cigarette-mouthpiecegroups.

FIG. 7 illustrates a complete filter cigarette machine which embodiesthe structure of FIG. 1 but the parts 1, 4, 5, 6a, 6b, 8, 10, 12 and 14shown in FIG. 7 are mirror symmetrical with reference to thecorresponding parts shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the cigarette magazine drum14 of FIG. 7 rotates in a counterclockwise direction and the magazinetake-off drum 4 of FIG. 7 also rotates in a counterclockwise direction.Parts of the coupling device shown in FIG. 2 and the feeler 22 of FIG. 1were omitted in FIG. 7 for the sake of clarity. The braking device 60 isshown in the lower right-hand portion of FIG. 7.

The duct 1 forms part of a magazine which contains a supply of filterrods 2, and the duct 1 feeds such filter rods into the grooves of thedrum 4 which coop erates with the cutters 5 and feeds the plugs 16 tothecollating wheels 6a, 6b, 6c. The wheels 6a6b feed the;

plugs 16 into the grooves of the drum 8 which forms a. single file ofsuch plugs and delivers them to the wheel 10. The wheel 10 transfers theplugs into consecutive grooves of the conveyor 12 which delivers suchplugs into the spaces between pairs of coaxial cigarettes C accommodatedin the grooves of the drum 14. The drum 14 receives such cigarettes froman intermediate drum 101. The assemblies consisting of pairs of coaxialcigarettes C and a plug 16 therebetween are transferred into the groovesof an intermediate drum 102 which cooperates with a suction drum 105,the latter serving to apply an adhesive-coated rectangular wrapper 104to each of the assemblies in the grooves of the drum 102. The drum 105is adjacent to a paster 103 serving to coat with adhesive one side ofthe wrapper tape or strip 58 stored on the reel 53. The strip 58 passesalong the guide roll 57, through the braking device 60, around the guideroller 73, between the feed rolls 74, 75, on to the paster 103, andfinally to the suction drum 105. The drum 105 cooperates with a rotaryknife 111 whose radially extending blades sever the leading end portionof the strip on the drum 105 to form the wrappers 104. The paster 103comprises a tank 112, a transfer roller 113 which dips into the tank112, and a roller-shaped applicator 114 which receives a film ofadhesive on contact with the periphery of the roller 113. On its wayfrom the feed rolls 74, 75 to the applicator 114, the strip 58 travelsaround a series of deflecting rollers 108.

The intermediate drum 102 advances the assemblies of cigarettes C andplugs 16 (each of which is provided with a wrapper 104) into consecutivepockets of a wrapping drum 115 which convolutes the wrappers 104 aroundthe respective assemblies in a manner well known in the art (see, forexample, my US. Patent No. 2,714,384 or my copending application SerialNo. 162,431 filed jointly with Guenter Wahle on December 27, 1961 andnow abandoned); and the thus obtained filter cigarettes of double unitlength are thereupon delivered into consecutive pockets of a transferdrum 116 which deposits such filter cigarettes on the upper stringer ofa take-off belt 117.

The drive mechanism for the machine of FIG. 7 comprises a driver pinion120 whichrneshes with a gear 121 coaxia'lly fixed to the wrapping drum115. The gear 121 meshes with a gear 122 which drives the transfer drum116 and with a gear 123 which drives the intermediate drum 102. The gear123 meshes with a gear 124 which drives the drum 14 and which mesheswith a pinion 125 for the intermediate drum 101. The gear 123 alsomeshes with an intermediate pinion 126 which meshes with an intermediategear 127, and the gear 127 meshes with a gear 128. The shaft of the gear128 is rigidly secured to the gear wheel 49 (see also FIG. 2) whichmeshes with the driving gear wheel 21. The gear wheel 21 drives the gearwheel 38 in a manner as shown in FIG. 2, and the gear wheel 38 drives agear 129 for the drum 8. Also, the gear wheel 38 meshes with the gearwheel 48 which meshes with a pinion 130 on the shaft of the conveyor 12.

The gear 129 meshes with a pinion 131 which drives a gear 132 for thedrum 4. The pinion 131 also meshes with pinions 133, 134 which drive thecollating wheels 6a, 6b, 6c. The wheels 6a6c are driven by threeseparate gears which are mounted on the shaft of the pinion 134.

The gear 124 for the drum meshes with a gear 135 which is coaxiallysecured to a pinion 136. This pinion 136 meshes with a pinion 137 whichdrives an intermediate pinion 138 meshing with a pinion 139 on the shaftof the feed roll 74. The pinion 137 also meshes with a gear 140 on theshaft of the knife 111, and the gear 140 drives the gear 141 for thedrum 105. The gear 141 meshes with a pinion 142 which drives the gear143 of the transfer roller 113, and the gear 143 drives the pinion 144of the applicator 114. The driving connection between the pinion 139 andthe feed roll 74 normally comprises a suitable clutch, not shown in FIG.7.

It is obvious that parts of the present invention may be usedindependently either as a device to cut off the feed of filters or plugsor as a device to cut-off the feed of a wrapper strip in the absence ofcigarettes.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rodsha-ped elements, suchas cigarette and filter plugs, and having feeding means for feedingfirst elements, feeding means for feeding second elements and feedingmeans for feeding wrapping material to connect the axially alignedrod-shaped elements, the combination of sensing means located along thefeed path of said first elements and operable to sense the presence andabsence of said first elements, means operatively connected with saidsecond-mentioned feeding means for selectively driving the sameincluding clutch means for controlling the second-mentioned feedingmeans, said clutch means having a driving part and a driven part, stopmeans operatively connected with said clutch means for substantiallyimmediately stopping the driven part of said clutch means, braking meansoperatively connected with said third-men tioned feeding means andoperable to effectively interrupt the feeding of said wrapping material,and control means operatively connected with said clutch means and saidbraking means for simultaneously controlling the operation of saidclutch means and of said braking means to thereby interrupt the feed ofsaid second elements and of said wrapping material in case of improperfeed of said first elements.

2. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rodshaped elements suchas cigarettes and filter plugs, comprising:

first feeding means for feeding first elements sideways,

second feeding means for feeding second elements sideways into the feedpath of and into axial alignment with said first elements,

third feeding means for feeding wrapping material to connect respectiveones of said first and second elements,

brake means for selectively and effectively interrupting the feed ofsaid wrapping material irrespective of the operating condition of saidthird feeding means,

said brake means being located along the feed path of said third feedingmeans for effectively and temporarily interrupting the third feed means,and control means including arresting means for arresting said secondfeeding means to interrupt the feeding of said second elements and forsimultaneously actuating said brake means to interrupt the feeding ofthe wrapping material in case of an interruption in the feed of saidfirst elements, said control means including sensing means adjacent tothe feed path of said first elements and located ahead of the pointwhere said second elements enter said feed path.

3. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rodshaped elements suchas cigarettes and filter plugs, in combination,

first feeding means for feeding first elements sideways,

second feeding means for feeding second elements sideways into the feedpath of and into axial alignment with said first elements,

third feeding means for feeding wrapping material to connect respectiveones of said first and second elements in the feed path of said firstelements,

brake means for selectively and effectively interrupting the feed ofsaid wrapping material irrespective of the operating condition of saidthird feeding means including electromagnetic means having a retractablerod, a pivotably mounted block, a counter block for engagement with saidpivotably mounted block, and frictional surface means on mutuallyopposite faces of said blocks, said retractable rod being operable toimpart a movement to said pivotably mounted block so that, when pressedtogether, said frictional surface means cause said wrapping materialwhich is guided between the opposing faces of said blocks to stop themovement thereof,

said brake means being located along the feed path of said third feedingmeans for effectively and temporarily interrupting the third feed means,and control means operatively connected with said brake means foractuating said brake means and for simultaneously arresting said secondfeeding means so as to interrupt the feeding of the second elements bysaid second feeding means simultaneously with stopping the movement ofthe wrapping material in case of an interruption in the feed of saidfirst elements along the feed path defined by said first feeding meansand ahead of the point where the second elements enter the feed path ofthe first elements.

4. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rodshaped elements suchas cigarettes and filter plugs, comprising:

first feeding means for feeding first elements,

second feeding means for feeding second elements,

third feeding means for feeding wrapping material to connect respectiveones of said first and second elements,

brake means for selectively and effectively interrupting the feed ofsaid wrapping material irrespective of the operating condition of saidthird feeding means,

sensing means disposed along the feed path of said first feeding meansand operable to sense the presence and absence of said first elements,

drive means for said first, second and third feeding means, selectivelyengageable means in the drive connection of said drive means having adriving part and driven part, stop means operatively connected with saiddriven part for substantially immediately stopping said driven part uponoperation of said stop means,

said brake means being located along the feed path of said third feedingmeans for effectively and temporarily interrupting the third feed means,and control means operatively connecting said brake means and engageablemeans with said sensing means for simultaneously disengaging saidengageable means and actuating said brake and stop means to interruptthe feeding of the second elements by said sec ond feeding means and ofthe wrapping material in case of an interruption in the feed of saidfirst elements.

5. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rodshaped elements suchas cigarettes and filter plugs, comprising:

first feeding means for feeding first elements,

second feeding means for feeding second elements,

third feeding means for feeding Wrapping material to connect respectiveones of said first and second e ements,

brake means for selectively and effectively interrupting the feed ofsaid wrapping material,

sensing means disposed along the feed path of said first feeding meansand operable to sense the presence and absence of said first elements,

drive means for said first, second and third feeding means including afirst drive connection for driving said first feeding means and separatedrive connections independent of said first drive connection for drivingsaid second and third feeding means, selectively engageable means in thedrive connection for said second feeding means having a driving part anddriven part, stop means operatively connected with said driven part forsubstantially immediately stopping said driven part upon operation ofsaid stop means,

said brake means being located along the feed path of said third feedingmeans for effectively and temporarily interrupting the third feedingmeans, and

control means operatively connecting said engageable means, said brakemeans and said stop means with said sensing means for simultaneouslydisengaging said engageable means and actuating said brake and stopmeans to interrupt the feeding of the second elements by said secondfeeding means and of the wrapping material in case of an interruption inthe feed of said first elements.

6. In a machine for assembling axially aligned rod- 10 shaped elementssuch as cigarettes and filter plugs, comprising:

first feeding means for feeding first elements,

second feeding means for feeding second elements,

third feeding means for feeding wrapping material to connect respectiveones of said first and second elements,

brake means for selectively and effectively interrupting the feed ofsaid wrapping material irrespective of the operating condition of saidthird feeding means including electromagnetic means having a retractablerod, a pivotably mounted block, a counter block for engagement with saidpivotably mounted block, and frictional surface means on mutuallyopposite faces of said blocks, said retractable rod being operable toimpart a movement to said pivotably mounted block so that, when pressedtogether, said frictional surface means cause said wrapping materialwhich is guided between the opposing faces of said blocks to stop themovement thereof,

sensing means disposed along the feed path of said first feeding meansand operable to sense the presence and absence of said first elements,

drive means for said first, second and third feeding means including afirst drive connection for driving said first feeding means and separatedrive connections independent of said first drive connection forrespectively driving said second and third feeding means, selectivelyengageable means in the drive connection for said second feeding meanshaving a driving part and driven part, stop means operatively connectedwith said driven part for substantially immediately stopping said drivenpart upon operation of said stop means,

said brake means being located along the feed path 'of said thirdfeeding means for effectively and temporarily interrupting the thirdfeed means, and control means operatively connecting said sensing meansfor simultaneously disengaging said engageable means and actuating saidbrake and stop means to interrupt the feeding of the second elements bysaid second feeding means and of the wrapping material in case of aninterruption in the feed of said first elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,714 11/88Bowers 192-17 1,799,106 3/ 31 Laxo 192-125 2,133,341 10/38 Bronander156-352 2,488,231 11/49 Pegard 192-67 2,568,431 9/51 Congdon 226-39 X2,684,741 7/ 54 Gregory 192-67 2,695,650 11/54 Weisenburg 156-3632,809,828 10/57 Ames et al. 226-39 2,883,810 4/59 Gieskieng 53-522,896,636 7/59 Powell et al 131-21 2,926,808 3/60 Long 156-364 3,067,75412/62 Pinkham et al 131-21 SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Examiner.

1. IN A MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING AXIALLY ALIGNED RODSHAPED ELEMENTS, SUCHAS CIGARETTE AND FILTER PLUGS, AND HAVING FEEDING MEANS FOR FEEDINGFIRST ELEMENTS, FEEDING MEANS FOR FEEDING SECOND ELEMENTS AND FEEDINGMEANS FOR FEEDING WRAPPING MATERIAL TO CONNECT THE AXIALLY ALIGNEDROD-SHAPED ELEMENTS, THE COMBINATION OF SENSING MEANS LOCATED ALONG THEFEED PATH OF SAID FIRST ELEMENTS AND OPERABLE TO SENSE THE PRESENCE ANDABSENCE OF SAID FIRST ELEMENTS, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAIDSECOND-MENTIONED FEEDING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DRIVING THE SAMEINCLUDING CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SECOND-MENTIONED FEEDINGMEANS, SAID CLUTCH MEANS HAVING A DRIVING PART AND DRIVEN PART, STOPMEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID CLUTCH MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLYIMMEDIATELY STOPPING THE DRIVEN PART OF SAID CLUTCH MEANS, BRAKING MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID THIRD-MENTIONED FEEDING MEANS ANDOPERABLE TO EFFECTIVELY INTERRUPT THE FEEDING OF SAID WRAPPING MATERIAL,AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID CLUTCH MEASN AND SAIDBRAKING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAIDCLUTCH MEANS AND OF SID BRAKING MEANS TO THEREBY INTERRUPT THE FEED OFSAID SECOND ELEMENTS AND OF SAID WRAPPING MATERIAL IN CASE OF IMPROPERFEED OF SAID FIRST ELEMENTS.